'To write about the foods of all the countries that surround the Mediterranean could seem an impossibly ambitious task. Some fifteen countries border the sea, to say nothing of its many islands, and they span three continents. Yet when one starts to consider the matter it becomes clear that all these countries have a great deal in common, and the task seems simpler than first imagined. It is as if the sea itself has imposed a strong unifying effect on the areas surrounding it. Different as the countries may be, in terms of race, politics, religion and culture, in the end we are forced to acknowledge that food is based on quite other matters.'

So says Arabella Boxer in the Introduction to her meticulously researched and beautifully organized book which constitutes a gastronomic grand tour of the region where spices, olives, tomatoes, yogurt, salads, fruit and the clever use of fish and meat combine so satisfyingly and memorably. Within these pages she conjures up the rich and colourful world of Mediterranean food.